(Texas Scorecard) – State Rep. Brian Harrison exposed Texas A&M University this week for continuing to offer classes laced with critical theory and diversity, equity, and inclusion.
A Texas A&M alumnus, Harrison (R-Midlothian) was first made aware of how wide-ranging the problem was after conservative influencer Morgonn McMichael highlighted a list of classes offered at the school for Fall 2024.
“My sister is a senior econ major (at Texas A&M),” explained McMichael, who pointed out several of the questionable classes, notably “Queer Theory,” “Gendered Organizations,” “Gender Socialization,” and “Black Feminist Thought.”
Other strange classes included “Adolescent Masculinity and the Fag Discourse,” “A Theory of Gendered Organizations,” and “Women in Hip-Hop Push Back Against the Male Gaze.”
“This is indoctrination!!” she emphasized.
Harrison responded to McMichael on Tuesday, tagging Texas A&M’s X account and asking if the classes were real. Later in the day, Harrison revealed that Texas A&M confirmed that the classes were, in fact, real.
“Absolutely outrageous abuse of Texan’s hard-earned tax dollars,” stated Harrison. “What the h–l is happening at @TAMU!?”
In a statement to Texas Scorecard on Wednesday, Harrison described the news as “just the latest example of A&M continuing to force” his constituents to “pay for liberal indoctrination.”
“If you want to study topics like ‘Adolescent Masculinity and the Fag Discourse,’ fine, but do it with your own d–n money, not on the backs of hardworking Texas taxpayers who are being taxed out of their homes,” stated Harrison. “The Regents should do the right thing and immediately end these outrageous courses. If not, I will be introducing a legislative fix next session.”
Harrison has been at the forefront of state lawmakers who have sought to hold Texas A&M accountable for continuing to push LGBT and other woke courses even after legislators passed new anti-DEI legislation.
The Texas Legislature passed Senate Bill 17 of the 88th Legislature’s regular session in May 2023. Gov. Greg Abbott signed the measure the following month, and the bill went into effect at the beginning of this year.
While SB 17 prohibits universities from establishing a DEI office, using DEI criteria in their hiring practices, or requiring employees or prospective employees to attend DEI training, it does not apply to academic instruction.
“Course curriculum is exempt from SB 17 and therefore was not audited by internal audit,” Laylan Copelin, Texas A&M’s Vice Chancellor for Marketing and Communications, told Texas Scorecard earlier this month.
Texas Scorecard recently reported on Texas A&M’s decision to offer a class in Social Justice Leadership this upcoming semester at the Bush School of Government & Public Service’s Center for Nonprofits & Philanthropy.
The course description shows the class explicitly advocates for DEI practices, reading, “Research continues to showcase the advantages of diversity and inclusion of salaried and non-paid employees at public and community service organizations.”
In addition, Texas Scorecard previously uncovered that Texas A&M spent more than $5,700 in taxpayer dollars on a course titled “Introduction to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Studies” and $8,700 on a course titled “The Economics of Gender and Race.”
Harrison posted on X in February that he would explore “legislative remedies” to address the fact that DEI is not prohibited in the university classroom, insisting that “Texans should not be forced to pay for liberal indoctrination.”
He also called for an investigation last year into Texas A&M’s decision to pay $1 million to former New York Times journalist Kathleen McElroy in a legal settlement.
McElroy, a prominent DEI proponent, voluntarily terminated her employment negotiations with Texas A&M after the university faced public backlash for offering her the position overseeing its journalism program.
Texas Scorecard contacted Texas A&M about Harrison’s concerns but did not receive a response before publication.